Tesla forced to recall 123,000 cars following steering issue

April 4, 2018

Electric car manufacturing colossus Tesla has been forced to recall 123,000 Model S cars following an issue with its power steering.

In a statement released by the company which was founded by South African entrepreneur Elon Musk, the automotive firm said they had to recall the vehicles in order to replace a power steering bolt that could corrode due to salt used on winter roads.

Tesla disclosed that no accidents or injuries were caused by the deficiency in the Model S cars which prompted their decision to replace the steering wheel bolt in all Model S vehicles built before the end of April 2016. It was taken as a precautionary measure.

Tesla has endured a difficult couple of weeks following the death of a 38 year-old motorist who was driving a Tesla Model X in California. It has since emerged that the car was in automated mode when the vehicle lost control and ploughed into barriers on the outskirts of Santa Barbara.

In an e-mail sent by Tesla to Model S owners, the Silicon-Valley based company said, "If the bolts fail, the driver is still able to steer the car, but increased force is required due to loss or reduction of power assist. This primarily makes the car harder to drive at low speeds and for parallel parking, but does not materially affect control at high speed, where only small steering wheel force is needed."

The corrosion has only been noticed in places where winter roads are frequently salted to melt snow or ice, but all Model S vehicles with the part will be retrofitted in a protective move, according to Tesla.